


Nothing weird about it

by wartransmission



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-20
Updated: 2014-01-20
Packaged: 2018-01-09 11:28:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1145435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wartransmission/pseuds/wartransmission
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru doesn't understand why Makoto would need a girlfriend to find happiness, nor does he understand why Nagisa thinks he should care that Makoto is getting more admirers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nothing weird about it

**Author's Note:**

> [http://makoharufestival.tumblr.com/post/74048007553/](http://makoharufestival.tumblr.com/post/74048007553/challenge-jealous-user-jadedgalvanizer-rating) Here's the link to the contest entry! If you liked this, then it'd be great if you helped me out and liked the original post. Thank you!

"It's weird, isn't it? What do you think, Haru-chan?"

 

"Lay off the chan," Haru says on instinct, sending an annoyed look Nagisa's way. Nagisa offers him a cheeky grin in response, unsurprisingly unconcerned about Haru's annoyance with the suffix. Haru sighs. "What's weird?" He asks in the end, just as he hands over his microphone to Rin so he can sing his song.

 

"It's nothing important, Haruka-senpai," Rei says, looking almost guilty as he toys with the straw in his drink. He yelps a bit when Nagisa suddenly shifts closer into his space, almost making him drop his drink- though he manages to get a firm hold of it before it can fall. "Be more careful, Nagisa-kun!" He scolds, looking a cross of embarrassed and annoyed.

 

"Yes, yes," Nagisa hums, grinning as he keeps close to a flustered Rei. He turns to Haru once he's done teasing Rei, saying, "I was just wondering if Haru-chan thought it was weird that Mako-chan suddenly has so many admirers!"

 

Haru gives him a look.

 

"You know I can't read your mind like Mako-chan can, Haru-chan! Don't be unfair," he whines, using Rei as a substitute for Haru when he nuzzles into his shoulder. Rei can only offer a mild complaint at that, though he doesn't look like he hates it much.

 

It makes Haru wonder if it really were that easy to get used to Nagisa and his inclination for affectionate gestures, or if it's just Rei. Makoto never minded it much either when they first met, though that wouldn't be odd considering how affectionate Makoto is himself. He's certainly not as openly affectionate as Nagisa, but the thought remains: Makoto cares about other people as much as Nagisa does.

 

"I don't think it's weird," Haru says eventually, earning two blinks of confusion from Nagisa. Haru frowns. "What?" _It wasn't that surprising, was it? Considering how Haru said that Makoto would be his first choice to date in their group, it'd be understandable that other people would think the same._

_"_ But!" Nagisa exclaims, a hand squeezing around Rei's bicep as he says as much. (Rei doesn't even try to bat his hand away, Haru notices.) "It's weird that it's suddenly happening, don't you think? They could've started asking Mako-chan out when he was a second year, but they only started now."

 

"Perhaps it's because they thought it'd be best to let him know now that he's almost graduating?" Rei suggests. Nagisa makes a face at his words. "What!" Rei says, looking offended, "It's a perfectly reasonable deduction!"

 

"Don't be boring, Rei-chan," Nagisa huffs. "There must be some other reason!"

 

"That's the only logical reason for it," Rei argues. "What other reason could explain it?"

 

Haru sighs, turning away from the arguing pair so he can pick out another song for him and Makoto from the song menu. What use was it to dwell on unimportant things, anyway? It's not like Makoto's actually going to say yes to any of them, considering how wishy-washy he is. He'd probably feel too guilty to pick one girl out from the lot who confessed to him.

 

"Think of what would happen if Makoto finally says yes to someone, though," Rin offers up as a thought as he throws the microphone Rei's way. Rei catches it deftly, earning a grin from Rin. "Nice catch, Rei."

 

"While I appreciate your trust in my capacity to catch things, I'd really rather you not do that again," Rei huffs as he scoots a little closer to the karaoke machine, consequently bringing Nagisa with him when he moves. "You could've broken the microphone, Rin-san."

 

"You caught it; that's what matters," Rin says with a dismissive wave of his hand. While Rei looks annoyed enough to complain again, he keeps quiet in favor of listening for the beginning of his song. Rin says, mostly to Nagisa and Haru, "Seriously, can any of you imagine Makoto having a girlfriend?"

 

"It's not impossible, Rin-chan," Nagisa says, unabashedly leaning into Rei even as Rei begins his song. "Makoto would be a really sweet boyfriend, wouldn't he?"

 

"Obviously," Rin huffs, looking annoyed at the prospect. Haru guesses that it's because he can't quite master the art of gentleness as much as Makoto can, though that's to be expected considering Rin's passionate nature. "Thinking about it now, though, wouldn't it be a bit hard on the girl to keep up with him? And then she'd have to deal with how much of a scaredy-cat he is." He pauses, before adding with a thoughtful countenance, "It actually seems a little weird, trying to imagine Makoto falling in love with a girl."

 

"Why?" Haru speaks up, earning a surprised look from Rin and Nagisa. He frowns and raises a brow, unamused at their surprise.

 

"He's just," Rin trails off, his furrowed brows and grimace making him look constipated as he tries to find words for what he's thinking, "he's already too used to making you his priority, Haru. Sure, he cares a lot about other people too- but can anything really compare to how he cares for you? For us as a group, even? It's kinda hard to think of him being in love with anyone without comparing it to how he feels for y- us." Rin coughs when Haru glares at him, though that sound is quickly replaced with a laugh when Haru doesn't let up.

 

"You make it sound like he's my caretaker," Haru says, frowning still as he pauses in his search for a song.

 

"That's not exactly what I was going for," Rin says. "Okay, how about this; Makoto has been looking after our group for so long that it's a bit difficult for him to take another person into the picture as a love interest. Something like that, I guess?"

 

"That's a sad way to think about it, Rin-chan," Nagisa says with a frown. "Makoto has a big enough heart to love another person, I think! It'd be lonely if he couldn't fall in love with someone just because he's so focused on us, ne?"

 

"Does he really have to fall in love with anyone else?" Haru blurts out, biting on the inside of his cheek when Rin and Nagisa send bewildered looks his way. _Why did he have to say that?_

_"_ Oh? What's this?" Rin leers, leaning over so he can shake his empty glass at Haru. "Feeling possessive, Haru? That's new."

 

"It's not that," Haru grumbles, his annoyance clear both from his expression and the grip he has on one of the pages of the song menu. The sound of the door opening stops Haru from saying more and he looks up, relaxing when he sees that it's Makoto who's returned from his bathroom break.

 

"Took you long enough," Rin says, a suggestive grin on his face as he leans back into his seat.

 

"Sorry, I had to buy something first," Makoto says, the smile on his face a sheepish one as he takes his seat beside Haru. "Here you go, Haru. I just bought the green apple-flavored one because there weren't any other good flavors," Makoto says as he hands a cup of jelly to Haru, a smile on his face (typically enough) when Haru accepts it with a soft "thanks."

 

"You should've bought me one, Mako-chan!" Nagisa whines, leaning over the table while slapping both of his hands onto the table.

 

"Aah, sorry, Nagisa," Makoto apologizes with a smile, though he can't help a laugh when Nagisa makes a face at him. "I didn't have enough money on me. You and Rei could buy one while we stay here, if you want?"

 

" _Fine,"_ Nagisa huffs, before looping an arm around Rei's elbow. Rei sighs resignedly at having been caught right after finishing his song, though he doesn't stop Nagisa from pulling him up to his feet. "Rei-chan and I will buy our own jelly! Do you want to come with, Rin-chan?"

 

"Nope," Rin says with a shake of his head, before half-heartedly waving goodbye to the pair when they finally leave.

 

"Aren't you going to sing something, Rin?" Makoto asks after eating a spoonful from his own jelly cup.

 

Rin shakes his head in response, before setting his empty glass on the table. "You guys can go first once you're done eating," Rin says just as he leans back into his seat.

 

"Eh," Makoto mumbles as he chews on a bite of jelly. He swallows and says, "If you say so. What were you talking about while I was gone, anyway?" He looks from Haru to Rin when he asks as much, and as such doesn't notice when Haru tenses up at the question. (Then again, perhaps it's just Makoto being polite and not saying anything about it now. It's usually the case with him.)

 

"Funny you should ask," Rin says with a grin. "We were talking about you getting a girlfriend, since you're becoming really popular nowadays. So? Have you picked anyone yet?"

 

"What?" Makoto asks, looking befuddled at the question as he pauses mid-bite. "I- well, no," he trails off, before taking the spoonful of jelly into his mouth. He chews slowly, looking contemplative even as he finishes his bite of jelly. "They're all really nice people, but...I guess I don't feel like dating yet? I'm sure they'll find people who are better than me, anyway."

 

"I can't believe how much I believe how sincere you are," Rin grumbles, his grin already gone because of Makoto's words. "You're just going to break more hearts if you don't get a girlfriend, Makoto. Seriously. People will keep confessing while you're still available, you know that right?"

 

"But I don't want to date someone for a reason like that," Makoto says with a frown as he takes another spoonful of jelly from his cup. "That wouldn't be the kind thing to do to any girl either."

 

"I was kidding," Rin drawls. "As if you'd date anyone for such a stupid reason." He scratches at the back of his head, his eyebrows furrowed in thought, and says, "Do you have anyone you like, Makoto? Be honest."

 

"Eh?" Makoto starts, blinking at Rin in bemusement. He takes his empty cup and puts it back into the plastic bag he'd bought it in, before taking Haru's and doing the same thing. "How do you mean?"

 

"Don't act dumb with me, Tachibana," Rin says with a raised brow.

 

"Why are you even asking?" Haru interrupts, narrowing his eyes at Rin when Rin squints at him.

 

"I wasn't talking to you, Haru," Rin says in his annoyingly haughty tone. "Besides, I was just curious. There's nothing wring about that, is there?"

 

"It's fine, Haru," Makoto says before Haru can offer an answer, his smile a gentle one as he softly squeezes Haru's shoulder with the hand he'd placed to pacify him. He removes his hand from Haru's shoulder just as he turns to Rin, and he says, "I guess I don't?"

 

"You _guess_?" Rin repeats incredulously.

 

"I don't think I like anyone in the way that you think I should like someone, Rin," Makoto clarifies, though all that gets him are bemused looks both from Haru and Rin. "Did that not make sense?" Makoto asks, looking confused himself as he ties up the plastic bag/trash bag where he'd put the jelly cups in.

 

"That made no sense," Rin says in monotonous drawl.

 

"Haru thinks so too?" Makoto asks, turning to Haru with a small moue. Haru raises an eyebrow to signify his agreement with Rin, which earns him a sigh from Makoto. "I don't know how to explain it...I mean, all of the girls who confessed to me are really cute, and some are really beautiful, but," he trails off, looking embarrassed. "It feels weird because I don't really know them well enough to like them? I don't think I'd be as comfortable with dating them as I would be if it's a friendly date with Haru."

 

"That doesn't count, though," Rin points out, rolling his eyes at Haru when he straightens up at Makoto's words. "You've been together for god knows how many years, so of course you'd be comfortable with Haru. Really," Rin says with an exasperated sigh, "what would even happen with you two if either of you start dating someone?"

 

"The girl Haru dates would be very lucky," Makoto says nigh instantly, earning a frown from Haru and a raised brow from Rin. Makoto frowns himself when he notices their reactions and says, "Is there something wrong with what I said?"

 

"You always say that," Haru says as answer, making Rin turn his curious look from Makoto to himself. "It's annoying."

 

"But it's true," Makoto insists, looking oddly determined to prove himself right. "What's annoying about it, Haru?"

 

"I told you that I wasn't interested in something like that, didn't I?" Haru mumbles, idly thumbing through the pages in the song menu. "Yet you keep saying such stupid things."

 

"Not to disturb your quarreling, but do you seriously think that Haru is boyfriend material, Makoto? Even with his obsession with water?" Rin interrupts, looking both amused and bewildered at the notion of Haru being anyone's boyfriend. Haru throws a weak glare his way, though he doesn't really say anything to argue with Rin.

 

"Well," Makoto hesitates, looking at Haru through the corner of his eyes, "I guess it'd have to be someone who understands Haru's love of water."

 

"That's hard enough a criterion as it is, you get that, right?" Rin asks, giving Haru a look before turning his gaze back to Makoto. "I'm not saying this to get on your good side or anything, but out of everyone in the group, you'd probably be the best choice, Makoto." He pauses, before shrugging and saying, "Well, if we ignore how wishy-washy you are, anyway."

 

"Why does everyone keep saying that I'm wishy-washy?" Makoto whines. "I just acknowledge that everyone has good qualities; what's wrong about that?"

 

"You're going to make your future girlfriend insanely jealous if you think there's nothing wrong with that," Rin says with a raised brow.

 

"Someone who doesn't understand that that's just how Makoto is wouldn't be a good girlfriend anyway," Haru says, unknowingly shifting closer into Makoto's space when he says as much. Makoto turns a wide-eyed gaze at him with those words, though that expression fades to give way to Makoto's pleased smile.

 

"Haru," Makoto whispers, as he always does when he's pleasantly surprised by Haru's words. Haru doesn't say anything in turn, though he keeps his face turned away enough so that Makoto can't see his embarrassed expression. Much as he does like making Makoto feel better with himself, it's still not that easy for him to give out compliments. He's not Makoto, after all.

 

"Oh my god," Rin groans, jolting Makoto and Haru back into reality as they turn to look at him in confusion. "If it's going to be like this, then why don't you two just date each other? God knows you practically are, anyway."

 

"Eh?" Makoto says in surprise. "But we're both boys, Rin."

 

"Does the gender really matter at this point? You're the only ones comfortable with each other, in the end," Rin says with a resigned sigh. "You're the only one who understands Haru's love of water, and Haru's the only person I know who'd be able to accept how wishy-washy you are.

 

"But," Makoto tries to interrupt, though he stops when Rin makes to continue with what he's saying.

 

"Haru's pretty possessive of you already as it is," Rin says, grinning when Haru sends a glare his way. "Why fight it?"

 

"Haru's not, though," Makoto says while turning to look at Haru, his confidence in his words faltering when Haru's expression remains a sombre one. "...Haru?"

 

"I'm pretty sure that Haru's not gonna be happy when someone takes up a higher priority than him with you," Rin says, shrugging when Makoto gives him a bewildered look. "That's what I think, anyway. He's been top priority for you for so long- hell, that reaches up until our elementary days. Even I'd get a bit pissed if someone stole my best friend of ten years or more from me."

 

"That's because you easily get jealous, Rin," Haru says, though his shoulders are stiff when he says as much. If it's because he's annoyed or guilty with Rin's words, he doesn't quite know. The emotions in his mind are all mixed up at this point, and he thinks he knows why that is, at the least. That doesn't mean he's happy with it, though.

 

"You're seriously telling me you wouldn't get even the slightest bit jealous when Makoto gets a girlfriend?" Rin needles. He grins when Haru glares in annoyance at him, as though being sent a glare was proof of how right he is.

 

"Haru wouldn't," Makoto answers for him with an odd air of confidence. "Besides, having a girlfriend doesn't have to mean that I'd care for Haru any less. And," he adds before Rin can argue with him, "I don't have any plans to date yet, so it should be okay."

 

"Ugh, you guys are impossible," Rin groans with a shake of his head. "I feel a little old saying this, but neither of you will get married at this rate."

 

"I don't care for marriage," Haru says with a blank expression.

 

"You did say that once, Haru," Makoto muses as he takes the song menu from Haru's lap. "But what do you mean by that, Rin?" Makoto asks, looking up at Rin for a moment before looking back down to flip through the list of songs.

 

"I'm saying that it'll be impossible for either of you to find a girl who'll understand that getting one means getting the whole fucking set," Rin says. "With the way you're both going about it, the two of you will just end up living together till you get old without having any children."

 

"I wouldn't mind that." Makoto smiles despite the disbelieving look Rin gives him. "What about you, Haru?" He asks while turning his gaze to Haru, who gives him an infinitesimal smile in return.

 

"That's fine with me," Haru answers, before sending a challenging stare Rin's way. "Are you still going to complain about us, Rin?"

 

"What," Rin sputters, looking offended at the insinuation that he'd care about such an inconsequential thing. "I was just stating my opinion!"

 

"It did seem a little like you cared too much," Makoto adds when he looks up from the song menu. He laughs when Rin makes an unintelligible sound in response.

 

"It seems like you're the jealous one." Haru smirks, looking even more smug when Makoto laughs again at his words.

 

"I'm not!" Rin avers, looking a little too embarrassed for Makoto and Haru to believe him. He frowns, before admitting in a mumble, "Just a little bit, maybe. It's hard not to be with you two."

 

"What's there to be jealous about, though?" Makoto asks with a none too innocent smile.

 

"You fucking know what," Rin grumbles in annoyance. "Up until now, I still don't get how the two of you manage to communicate just by looking at each other. How the hell is that even possible?"

 

"But we've been fri-"

 

" _No_ ," Rin interrupts Makoto, a finger raised to silence him before he can say more. "Don't even try that with me, Makoto. No matter how long you've been together, it's still not reason enough to explain the telepathic communication."

 

"I don't really know how it works either, though?" Makoto says, scratching at his cheek in thought. "Do you know, Haru?" He asks while sending a look Haru's way.

 

"I don't," Haru replies with a shake of his head.

 

"Great," Rin deadpans, before sighing and shaking his head. "Whatever, I don't care anymore."

 

"Alright then," Makoto says with an amused smile. He looks back down to flip through the pages, before stopping and looking up with a bemused expression. "Why aren't Nagisa and Rei back yet? The convenience store is just right across the street."

 

"It's Nagisa," Haru intones, as though expecting Makoto to understand instantly. (Unsurprisingly, Makoto does.)

 

"He _would_ take a little too long to buy something from a convenience store, even more so now that Rei's with him." Makoto smiles at the thought, before asking, "Should I text them?"

 

"Just leave them," Rin answers with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They'll be fine so long as Rei is there."

 

"It's nice how you and Rei are getting along now," Makoto says, laughing when Rin makes another series of incomprehensible sounds because of his embarrassment at the notion. "Don't you think so too, Haru?"

 

"Aa," Haru mumbles idly in answer, being too busy with leaning into Makoto's space so he can look at the page that Makoto had left open on the song menu. He looks up at Makoto once he's picked out a song, to which Makoto smiles. Haru takes that as his go ahead signal before leaning back into his own seat and taking the remote to input the song that he'd chosen.

 

Rin doesn't bother to say anything when he looks at them and their unnatural proximity, which is even more unnatural to the closeness that they already shared when they were still in elementary. It's a bizarre scene when he really thinks about it, two guys being this openly intimate with each other, but he's gotten used to it for so long that it didn't register in his mind as being anything weird.

 

_Then again_ , he thinks as he watches Makoto and Haru sharing the microphone as they start to sing, _what was so weird about having such a good relationship with your best friend of ten or more years?_


End file.
